Railway-car journal-box.



. H. H. HEWITT.

RAILWAY GAR JGURNAL BOX.

1 APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-511131211.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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v Ira/6701671 H. H. HEWITT. RAILWAY GAR JOURNAL BOX. APPLICATION FILED 111x155} 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

r 1,072,727., Patented se sjawia,

HERBERrH. HEWITT, ornurrat nnw YORK.

RAILWAY-OAR JoURNaL-Box.

' Boxes, of which the following is a'full, clear,

and exact description.

The invention relates to journal boxes for railway, cars and seeks to provide an improved arrangement of guard plate for closing the inner end of the box which is mounted upon the car axle and is spring-pressed against the inner end-face of the box, the

latter being pivoted upon an axis at right angles to the shaft to rock transversely withthe axle in passing over irregularities in the track and thereby at all times maintain the guard plate in close contact with its inner end face. 4

A further object of the invention is to prdvide a guard plate which is springpressed against the inner face of the box and ,provided with flanges interlocked therewith to hold the guard plate against rotation, the'guard plate being free, however, to shift vertically over the inner end face of the box as the bearing wears.

The invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the preferred form in the accompany ing drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section of the improved journal box, with the portion of the car truck on which the box is mounted shown in section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale on the line 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the improved guard 'ilate. 1 The journal box 1 is preferably formed of cast steel and, in general outline, is similar to the standard box now in use. 'It is, however, shorter than the ordinary box which is usually provided at its inner end with guide grooves for receiving the customary dust guard. The box is provided at its forward end with a lid 2 of any suitable construction which is pivotally connected to a lug 3 on the upper, forward portion of the box. A spring l cooperateswith flat faces on the lug to hold the lid in its closed and open positions. As usual, the wheel axle 5 is provided with a wheel 6 fixed thereto Specification of Letters Eatent.

and with a projecting journal 7' which ex'- tends through'an opening 8 in the inner end wall 9 of the box. The j'ournal'is provided 1n theusual manner with a flangeor collar 10 at its outer end and asho'ulder- 11 at its" inner end. J e

The journal bearing 12 is of usual form and is provided with an angular upper face and a cylindrical lower face which engages 5 the journal 7 At its lower side portions, the bearing is provided-with laterally project ging, edge flanges l3 and stop lugs 14 and, iat its inner end, the bearing hasthe usual upstanding flange 15. ,shown, the top wall of the journal box is thickened or reinforced and is provided on ;its lower face with an'angular seat 16 which idireetly engages the correspondinglyshaped gupper face of the journal bearing, and at its ;inner end, the top wall is provided with an ,angular recess 17 for receiving the upstanding flange 15 of the bearing. Thejside walls of the journal box are provided with invardly projecting, integral guide lugs 18 30 =which cooperate with theedge flanges .13 and stop lugs 14 of the hearing. The bear inn is'thus held in position within the journal box without the use of the usual wedge or key. This arrangement is similar to that set forth in a prior application filed, by me in the United States Patent Ofiice onMay'8,

11.912, Serial No. 696,025.

The journal box is mounted to rock or os-- 'cillate in a transverse direction or in a vertical plane extending through the'axis of the journal. In the particular construction shown, the box is provided on its inner. side with a laterally-projecting stud 19 which is pivoted or journaled within suitable hubs 20 and 21 formed at the inner portion and at the outer end, respectively, of the .car truck side frame 22, one-half of whichis shown in Fig. 1. The box is reinovably held in position by a key 23 which extends through the stud 19 and engages the inner face of the hub 21. By this construction, the box is pivotally connected to thetruck supporting member or sideframe 22 upon an axis at right angles to the car axle 5. The

side frame is journaled or pivoted upon the cylindrical end portion Qiof the transverse connecting member or transom of the car truck, so that it is free to swing vertically in its own plane tical movement of its outer end and of the journal box carried thereby as. the end of Patented,Sept.9,1913. Application filed June 5, 1912. "Serial No. 701,903.

In the construction 7o tothereby permit the verthe axle rises and falls in passing over irregularities in the track. By pivoting the box, as described, it is free to rock in a.

transverse vertical plane with the axle.

-As stated, the improved box is somewhat shorter than the ordinary construction and the opening 8 in its inner end wall 9 is closed by a guard plate 25 which surrounds the axle 5 and is spring pressed against the inner end face of the box. This guard plate is preferably formed of sheet steel and is pressed against the inner end face of the box by a spring 26 coiled about the axle and extending between the guard plate and the face of the hub of the car wheel 6. The spring 26 is preferably somewhat larger than the axle and the guard plate is provided about its central opening with a 1aterally projecting flange 27 which extends about the axle 5 and within the outer end of the coiled spring 26. As shown, the flange 27 fits quite snugly within the outer end of the coiled spring 26, but is slightly larger than the axle 5 so that a slight clearance is provided between the surface of the axle and the inner face of the flange. In

- this way theflange does not bear, to any considerable extent, on the axle 5 and will not wear the same.

The guard plate is preferably arranged to engage the box in such a manner that it is held against rotation. EIn, the preferred construction shown, the plate is provided at its side edges with forwardly projecting flanges 28 which overlap the side faces of the box. By this arrangement, the guard plate is held against rotation, but is free to slide vertically over the inner end face of the box as the journal bearing 12 .wears. Inasmuch as the journal box is free to rock transversely with the axle, in passing over irregularities in the track, any such movement of the axle'will not shift the guard plate 25 away from the inner end face of the box so that the plate is. at all times snugly held by the spring 26 against the in ner end face of the box to thereby prevent the entrance of dust and dirt through the opening 8 in its rear wall. In other words, the box, guard plate and axle all rock or oscillate together in passing over irregulari-' ties in the track, so that the guard plate is always maintained in snug engagement'with the inner end face of the box. At the same time, the guard plate is held against rotation, but is free to shift vertically over the face of the box as the journal bearing 12 wears.

Preferabl as shown, the rear end of the box is provided with a rectangular strengthening flange 29 which is of substantially the same width as the box but extends above and below the same and has vertical side edges which are engaged by the flanges 28 of the guard plate.

It is obvious that changes may be made from the details set forth without departure from the essentials. of theinvention as de fined in the claims.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a car axle having a wheel thereon and a projecting end journal, of a journal box having a bearingfor said journal, a guard plate on said axle engaging the inner end face of said box and closing the opening therein, a spring coiled about said axle and interposed between said wheel and said guard plate, and a supporting member to which said journal box is .pivoted on an axis transverse to said axle,

journal, of a journal box having a bearing for saidjournal, a guard plate on said axle engaging the inner end face of said box and closing the opening therein, a spring coiled about said axle and interposed between said Wheel and said guard plate, and a supporting member to which said j ournal box is connected in. a manner permitting the transverse rocking movement thereof with said axle to thereby maintain said guard plate in. close contact with its inner end face, said plate and box having engaging parts for holding said plate against rotation and said plate be ing free to shift vertically over the inner .end face of said box as said bearing wears,

substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car axle having a wheel thereon and a projecting end journal, of a journal box having a bearing for said journal, at guard plat'e on said axle engaging the inner end face of said box and closing the opening therein, a spring coiled about said axle and interposed between said wheel and said guard plate, and a vertically movable truck member to which said box is pivoted on an axis at right angles to said axle to permit the transverse rocking movement of said box and uard plate with said axle, whereby said p ate is, at all times,

maintained by said spring in close contact with the inner end face of said box, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a car axle having a wheel thereon and-a projecting end journal, of a journal box having a bearing for said journal, a guard plate on said axle engaging the inner end face of said box and closing the opening therein, a spring coiled about said axle and interposed between said wheel and said guard plate, anda supporting member to which said journal. box is connected in a manner permitting the trans- 13/" journal, of a journal hex having a ing an annular about sai verse rocking movement thereof with said side edges of the inner end face 0 said box and being free to shift vertically over said face as said bearing wears,

substantially as described.

5. The combination with a car axlehaving a wheel thereon ands projecting end bearing for said journaland mounted to rock transverselywith said axle, a sheet metal guard plate on said, axle and bearing against the inner end face of d hex, sa1d late havaxle and said box and v and interposed between said wheel guard plate, snhstantiallyjas described.

6. The combination with a car axle havmg journal, of a journal box having .a bearing for said journal and mounted to rock transversely with said; axle, a sheet metal guard plate on said axle and'bearing against the coiled about said axle and interposed tween said wheel and said guard plate, said guard plate having an annular flange at its within the outer end of said coiled spring and vertical flanges at its side edges overlapping the side edges of said box, and said plate beingIfi'ee to abearing wears, substantially as described.

' HERBERT H. HEWITT. Witnesses: i q

EUGENE J. COLEMAN,

WALTER C. MULLETT.

inner end face of sald box, and a sprilxjlg inner end extending about said axle and hift vertically as said a wheel thereoaand a projecting end 1 

